Angry commuters staged a demonstration at Chattogram Railway Station on Wednesday morning after the Sylhet-bound Paharika Express was delayed for nearly three hours due to an ongoing locomotive shortage.

The service, originally scheduled to depart from Chattogram at 7:50 am, finally left the station at 10:50 am. The extended wait sparked fury among several hundred stranded passengers, culminating in protests outside the station master’s office and along the platforms.

Between 70 and 80 passengers gathered directly outside the station master’s room to voice their frustration, while others held demonstrations across the station platforms. Images and video clips capturing the commotion quickly circulated across social media platforms, showing crowds demanding answers from railway officials.

Passengers alleged that the locomotive originally assigned to the Paharika Express was detached and reallocated to another train service, leaving them stranded without clear communication. The unexpected alteration left hundreds of travelers packed onto the platform for hours during peak morning travel time.

Railway officials acknowledged that the Paharika Express frequently suffers from operational delays driven by an acute shortage of engines. Under current operational practices, the locomotive from an inbound train arriving from Sylhet must undergo routine maintenance and turnaround procedures before being attached to the outgoing Sylhet-bound service. Any delay on the incoming leg inevitably cascades onto the outbound departure.

Chattogram Railway Station Master Abu Zafar Mazumder explained that the incoming train from Sylhet was scheduled to reach Chattogram at 5:35 am, but arrived nearly two hours behind schedule. This initial delay created a bottleneck, pushing the departure of the Paharika Express back by three hours. Mazumder added that station management has formally raised the issue of engine shortages with senior railway authorities to seek a lasting solution.